Western Union drops telegrams
p2p news / p2pnet: "Send a message that means more than words," says Western Union.
In 1851, businessmen in Rochester, New York, founded The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company. It went on to become Western Union and today the name is almost synonymous with ‘telegram’.
But not any more, says the company which introduced singing telegrams to the world.
"Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services," says its site baldly. "We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage."
The decline of telegram use goes back at least to the 1980s, "when long-distance telephone service became cheap enough to offer a viable alternative in many if not most cases, says LiveScience. "Faxes didn’t help. Email could be counted as the final nail in the coffin."
But Western Union hasn’t failed, adds the story.
"It long ago refocused its main business to make money transfers for consumers and businesses. Revenues are now $3 billion annually. It’s now called Western Union Financial Services, Inc. and is a subsidiary of First Data Corp."
Also See:
LiveScience – Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams, January 31, 2006
February 1st, 2006 at 9:50 pm
I can’t believe telegrams lasted this long. Good riddance to old crap technology. Lets see how many people memorialize this into some kind of melodramatic departure of America’s golden age.
Whatever. Get over it and get an email account.
February 1st, 2006 at 10:00 pm
Dude, I was bitching against Western Union for charging what they charge for moving money that doesn’t actually move. They’re freaking stealing from people. Western Union can go down along with telegrams, I don’t care. At least bother to transalate what I posted first. Do you want a Gmail invite?
February 1st, 2006 at 10:06 pm
America’s golden age departed long, long ago (if there ever was such a thing). What put the sand in your crack? Find a cockroach in your coffee cup this morning?
Whatever. Get over it.
February 1st, 2006 at 10:13 pm
I wasn’t talking to either of you people. Stop flattering yourself.
I was merely expressing my opinion on the issue, if that is still allowed here.
February 1st, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Sure it is, but if this is the case, then you should post your reply to the article itself, not to someone else’s comment.
February 1st, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Had Western Union been a member of the copyright cartel and lobbied hard enough, and hired enough lawyers, email would be presently banned. Certainly email systems would have been sued.
At least Western Union telegrams became obsolete gracefully, while the copyright cartels want to extend their products life cycle by suing and forcing the customers to buy their product.
February 1st, 2006 at 11:17 pm
“Had Western Union been a member of the copyright cartel and lobbied hard enough, and hired enough lawyers, email would be presently banned. Certainly email systems would have been sued. ”
AMEN to that !!!
They saw the writing on the wall years ago and, instead of burying
their collective heads in the sand, they CHANGED THEIR BUSINESS
MODEL .
No whining, crying or lawyers.
Not everyone loves them as a company, but in at least THAT
aspect, they are an example of how things should be done.
February 2nd, 2006 at 6:55 pm
I do not see any connection between Western Union telegrams and copyright infringement.
Telegram service failed due to new technologies that became available for less money. Nevertheless, you pay for e-mail services to your ISP, phone company for providing you with phone lines. Also you need a PC for all that which costs money.
In RIA’s case, people obtaining music, which is someone’s property btw, without proper compensation and thatâs’ where the problem is.
ViC Phoenix